Life-preserver.



comfort or interference.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE. i

FRANK MARCOVSKY, 0F DUQUESNE, PENNSYLVANIA.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

Application tiled-July 30, 1918.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FRANK Mimcovsnr, a citizenof the United States, residing at Duquesne, in the county of Alleghenyand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Life- Preservers, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to the class of life belts or life preservers ofthe kind adapted to be Worn on the body, and to provide a buoyantsupport therefor in water.

The present invention consists of a bodysurrounding construction adaptedto be in- Y Hated` by air and to also, when collapsed,

relax into comparatively small size so that it may be continuously wornwithout dis- The device is so arranged as to be adapted Jfor attachmentto the body, either underneath or outside of the ordinary clothing, andis capable of being quickly inflated at any time by con nection with asuitable source of air pressure.

Preferred constructions of the invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view of the invention in elew vation as applied to thebody;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional detail view on an enlarged scaleindicated by the line II, Il of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional detail view, showing the device deflated.

Referring to the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the iniiatableelement consists of a continuous inner tube 2 preferably of rubber,arranged when applied in spiral form, to terminate at o and brespectively. The tube 2 is continuously inclosed within outersurrounding walls 3-3 of suitable material, as canvas, webbing,or thelike, which is stitched or otherwise secured at each side of the tube,continuously along y throughout its full spiral length, as indicated at4.-4.. V

As thus constructed, the tube-inclosing portions are provided withterminal edge members 5-5, which, when the tube and its cover arespirally arranged as shown, are located adjacent to each other with anintervening space 6. The adjacent edge members 5 are connected ,atintervals b short flexible straps 7 which are prefere 1y securelyattached at one side to one of the edge portions ,5w as indicated at 8,and are re movably connected with the opposite edge Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1919.

Serial No. 247,361.

5 by a releasable button 9. (See Fi 3). By this construction, the coilsof the evice Iare held in their desired relative arran e ment and may beeasily disconnected or removal or application, or for comp-actly foldingor rolling the device for storage or packing. The releasable buttons 9enable matic tire and provided with an automati-` cally seating checkvalve. By this means, immediate connection may be made with any sourceof air pressure, and the device can be quickly inflated to any desiredextent, as say, one pound pressure, or more or less. Air pressure may beproduced by connecting the nipple 10 with a su ply ipe, or a short handtube may be used), and) the inflation may be produced by blowing of theoperator.

Shoulder straps 11 are provided having suitable buckles l2 whereby thedevice may be supported, additional straps 13, and buckles 111, beingalso provided for holding the lower portion of the device -to the body.A connectin strap 15 and buckle 16 connect the terminalqb with the sideportion of the rst spiral member, tending to hold the device better inposition, and also assisting in its adjustment to the bod of the wearer.

llVhen thus constructe and applied, the device in irts de-flatedcondition is com aratively flat and thin, as indicated in Fig. 3, lyingclosely and compactly against the body of the wearer with amplelooseness to permit inflation. When inflated, the volume of air in itsdisplacement function results in sulficient buoyancy to provide amplesupporting tremely eificient Iuoyant Vlife preserver or life belt, andbecause of its extreme lightness in Weight and ease of collapsbilty, .together with its adaptability to easy and quick lnflation by connectionwith readily available terminals of an air supply system, as on a ship,it is vpossible for many of the preservers 'to be inflated at the sametime. It provides ya very practicable and usefll device, avoiding theobjections ofl cumbersome and heavy life preservers utilizing Cork inany ofthe usual 'forms Having thus described my invention, what I 'claimis:

1. A life preserver consisting of a tube havin `an inc'losing sheathing,an 'ai-fr eup- 'ply nipple, means for maintaining the tube in spiralarrangement around the fbody Aand -for adjustment lto the girth thereof,I'and means for attachment to andsupport thereon.

2. A life fpreserver 'consisting o'f a =flexi'i'i'le inflatable tubehavin an air supply nipple, an inclosin'g fieXible s 'eatlringthere'fonVoenneoting devices located at intervals adapted to connect 'theadjacent edges ofthe shea-thing when arranged in spiral formation, andholding and supporting straps foret-bathing the preserver to the body.

3. A life reserver consisting of a fie-Xible infiatabletu e .hav anairsupply nipple, an inc'losing flx'iblensieathing therefor, conmeetingdevices located at intervals adapted to connect the adjacent edges ofthe sheathing when arranged in spiral formationyholding and supportingstraps for attachingthe preservar* to fthe body, and a tightening strapconnecting one end portion of the sheathing' to another portion of thesheathing between its 4;. A 'life reserver consisting of a flexibleinflatable tube-having an 'ai'r supply nipple, an 4.in eiiirg feiriblesheathing therefor 'havdpposi'tely Ie'fztenliiigrdgeptions, separa'. '1e-feonnenting fevees at .intervals throughout the length of the sheathingdaptedto-:mai-twin rtandthertube in coil-ed arrangement on the ria'uiy'and to permit 'of tiglftteiiing or loosening fadeustment thereon, andmeans 'for `su@piot'ltrnjg and :attaching 'the ,same with relation 'tol'the body of the Whler.

in testimony whereof il hereunto aix `my signature.

MAIRCOVSKY.

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